In efforts to provide a temporary storage for fuel element containers in the open, it has been suggested to accommodate the containers in a silo-like housing made of concrete or steel-reinforced concrete. The silo-like housing can be of different configurations and each are suitable for accommodating one fuel element container. In one configuration of the shielding housing for receiving fuel element containers, the shielding housing is provided with lateral air passages at the lower end of the concrete shielding wall and lateral air outlet passages in the region of the upper end of the shielding wall beneath the cover. With this arrangement of the air inlet and air outlet openings, a natural convection within the housing is obtained for directing away the heat produced by the radioactive decay of materials stored in the container.
It is necessary especially for the upper air outlet opening to take measures which will prevent the penetration of rainwater into the housing. For this purpose, the air outlet opening is covered. If a central air outlet opening is provided at the highest location of the concrete shielding housing, it is advantageous to provide a roof-like cover over the air outlet opening and arrange this cover so that it is in a spaced relationship to the concrete shielding housing.